A tailgate party is a social event held on and around the opentailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating, which originated in the United States, often involves consuming alcoholic beverages andgrilling food. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots atstadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games andconcerts. People attending such a party are said to betailgating. Many people participate even if their vehicles do not have tailgates.

In schools and communities throughout the United States, there are athletic departments, coaches and parents of student athletes who rely on post-game tailgating parties to build community and support for their program and team. Smaller, underfunded programs are assisted by the voluntary participation of parents and friends to feed the team and coaching staff post-competition, which establishes a strong core of support year after year.

Lawn games such as Cornhole, Ladder Golf, Polish horseshoes, Louisville Chugger, and Sholfare very popular during tailgates and tailgate parties. Lawn games are associated with tailgating primarily because of the simplicity in the game materials.[5] Lawn games carry the connotation of drinking games because of their presence during tailgates.[6]

The previously underground subculture is now a part of the mainstream sports media. In 1993,ESPN’s pre-game college football show College GameDay took on a tailgate-party atmosphere by placing the hosts on a portable stage set at the campus of the school hosting the week’s marquee rivalry matchup with fans gathering around it to celebrate. The Fox network‘sNASCAR on Fox and Fox NFL Sunday have also used similar setups. Veteran broadcasterJohn Madden has brought attention (and cameras) into the tailgating lots for years. Madden is the author of a book entitled John Madden’s Ultimate Tailgating, released in 1998.[7]

For twelve years, Joe Cahn has been traveling the country from stadium to stadium, as the self-declared Commissioner of Tailgating.[8] He has tailgated and tasted with fans of both college and NFL teams, and to many is the face and the voice of the tailgater. He calls the tailgating lot “the last American neighborhood” and refers to tailgate parties as “the new American community”.[8]

In 2007, the NFL angered many football fans by banning tailgating before the Super Bowl.[9]The NFL cited security risks, though many suspected it had more to do with corporate sponsored events than any real threat.[10] In 2008, an online petition[11] began circulating to encourage the NFL to lift the no tailgating at the Super Bowl policy. Members of the sports media[12] also questioned the validity of NFL’s claim that security concerns was the real reason for the ban.

In the Simpsons episode “Any Given Sundance” (season 19, episode 18, aired on March 4, 2008), Homer takes his family to a tailgate party. He makes them get up early in order to be at the stadium hours before the football game, and states that “the game is nothing”, the tailgate party being the only reason for their being there.

Season 3 of the Travel Channel original series Man v. Food had a tailgating special which shows various skits from previous episodes that featured food that would make an ultimate tailgate party.

A number of television commercials, especially those aired during football games, feature tailgaiting culture, including those for Bud Light beer and cellphones.